Final Flight
by Inazuma ninja
Summary: My slightly edited entry for the SugarScape Fanfiction awards. Cover artwork created by yours truly. Young Richard Grayson is seen as the light of the team. However, what dark past is hidden underneath his mask? The team discover just how broken their little bird truly is.


**This is my entry for the sugarscape fanfiction awards ( this story got me into the finals yay)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or its characters**

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Darkness shrouded the world. Darkness so sinister that even the Joker, the persona of insanity; was kept at bay. Who was heroic enough to tread these demonic halls? Who was foolish enough to tangle with ones own fears? In the darkness wandered a child, who looked no older than thirteen years of age. He was not in this realm of his own free will however; but forced. How he ended up in the murkey jurisdictions of his mind eluded him. As the small ebony haired teen wondered the halls his sharp senses picked up the gut-wrenching familiar sound of circus music. Despite his instincts, the boy warily followed the tune of his past into a clearing. He was greeted by the sight of a large red and blue stripped circus tent. Nostalgia settled in as he gazed longingly at his home.

Before he knew what was happening, the young hero started making his way toward the brightly coloured arena. As he stepped into the fabricated building the world before him disapeared. Panic, swelled in his chest as the use of his senses was stripped from him.

When his sight returned his panic turned into bone chilling fear. He found himself atop the trapeze platform, the world far below his feet. He was greeted by the cheer of the Gotham crowd as two familiar figures elegantly twisted in the air doing breath taking flips and tricks. The red headed female acrobat gazed his way with a eart warming smile. He froze. He knew exactly what was going to happen as he watched his parents perform. He reached out, desperatly trying to convince them to stop.

That's when he heard it. The devistating snap of the trapeze rope, which has haunted his dreams since that fateful night. He despereatly shot forward to try to save them as their expressions turned from joy to pure fear as they began to plummet towards the cold, hard and unforgiving ground below. The crowd around him screamed at the sight and fled the venue. He watched. Frozen to the spot as his family made contact with the ground with a sickening cracking of bones.

He immediatly scrambled down to ground level and knelt by their sides, their limbs stickig out at angles even ones as felexable as them should never be able to achieve. He could tast the metalic blood in his mouth as he tried in vain to wake them up. To see his mothers bright blue eyes once again; to no avail. The world closed in on the child as he sobbed and screamed for them to awaken. He felt so alone; broken.

The young acrobat was startled back to his senses as the corpses before him began to twitch violently. Slowly, the two faces looked at him, devoid of all emotion, staring into his soul. His entire being felt violated by their demonic stares. Sluggishly, they made their way towards the sidekick. What left their mouths shattered the lone boys heart. "Disapiontment." The ebony haired boystruggled and screamed against his captors until everything went black.

Darkness; it covered everything withing the murky miasma of his mind the young hero heard yet another familiar voice. It sounded so close, yet so far away.

"Come on Robin, wake up. It's okay, it's over now." The voice gently coaxed the Boy Wonder back to the realm of reality. "That's it Rob. Open your eyes. That's it." With great effort Robin managed to open his eyes, to be greeted by blurry fugures and a white room. He rearlized he was in a soft bed at the cave infirmary. As his vision began to clear he saw the worried faces of his team looking at him sympathetically.

"What happened?" Came Dick quiet voice.

"We were on a mission in Brazil investigating Scarecrow, remember?" Asked his beat friend Kid Flash, in which Robin replied whith a nod. "Well he jumped us and you got nailed with his fear gas. You've been screaming and struggeling in a nightmare ever since." The speedster explained.

"Oh" Was the hero's only reply as he played the ivid images over in his head. "It... it was horrible Wally. I... I saw them die again. Why did they have to leave me?" He creid brokenly as the dam finally broke, salty tears cascading down his face. He felt strong arms envelop him as he cried into his friend's chest. It was at this moment the team rearlized just how broken their little bird was.


End file.
